The Robert Novak Journalism Fellowship Program is nurturing a new generation of responsible journalists. This prestigious year-long program awards $75,000 full-time fellowships and $35,000 part-time fellowships for writing projects committed to advancing constitutional principles, a democratic society and a vibrant free-enterprise system. There are also Alumni Fund Fellowships funded by donations from former and current Novak Fellows. Alumni Fund Fellowship winners write one magazine-length article on their topic.
Novak award recipients are announced each May at the Robert Novak Journalism Fellowship Awards Dinner at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. More than 250 prominent journalists and guests attend this annual event to celebrate the best in American journalism. Proceeds from the evening support the Robert Novak Journalism Fellowship Program.
The evening also honors annual recipients of the Thomas L. Phillips Career Achievement Award, and the Kenneth Y. Tomlinson Award for Outstanding Journalism.
Robert Novak’s Legacy
American journalist Robert Novak provided the inspiration for this program in 1994 as a way to nurture a new generation of responsible journalists. The program was renamed in Mr. Novak’s honor following his passing in 2009. Today, the Novak Program has awarded 141 fellowships to promising young journalists who are climbing the ranks as groundbreaking reporters, editors, editorial page writers, columnists and authors.
As a young journalist, I was thrilled when I got a job as a researcher for a New York Times op-ed columnist. But I worried about finding the time and energy to do my own research, reporting and writing. A part-time Novak Journalism Fellowship provided the motivation – and resources – for me to keep working under my own byline while I labored behind the scenes at the Times.”
– Katherine Mangu-Ward (Novak 05)
Editor-in-Chief of Reason
Novak Fellows include Steve Hayes (AIPES 94, Novak 00) of The Weekly Standard and Fox News, Katherine Mangu-Ward (Novak 05) of Reason, Mollie Hemingway (Novak 04) of Fox News and The Federalist and Tim Carney (Novak 03) of the Washington Examiner. For a full list of fellowship recipients, click here.